Afcon wrap: Big guns all advance to last-16

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Morocco, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Algeria all rounded off the group stages at the African Cup of Nations with vital wins as they now look ahead to the knockout stages of Afcon 2019.

Morocco 1-0 South Africa

Mbark Boussoufa struck as Morocco clinched top spot in Group D at Afcon 2019 with a late 1-0 win over South Africa.

The Al-Shabab forward won it in stoppage time at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo on Monday.

Achraf Hakimi hit the crossbar for Morocco while Youssef En-Nesyri also missed a fine chance before Boussoufa pounced, which left South Africa’s hopes of qualifying from the group in the balance.

Percy Tau shot wide for South Africa midway through the first half before Morocco took control of a dull game after the break.

The 1976 winners almost went ahead after 64 minutes when Hakimi’s 25-yard strike rattled the underside of the bar.

Five minutes later, Morocco should have broken the deadlock only for En-Nesyri to miss a golden chance when he shot wide after rounding Ronwen Williams.

En-Nesyri also headed straight at Williams before Boussoufa fired in an 90th-minute winner after South Africa failed to clear a free kick.

Ivory Coast 4-1 Namibia

The Ivory Coast secured their progress from Afcon Group D with a 4-1 win over Namibia.

Namibia’s Peter Shalulile failed to take the two best chances of the opening half-hour, while Max Gradel sliced wide at the other end.

Goalkeeper Loydt Kazapua almost gifted the Elephants an opener when he fumbled a cross straight to Wilfried Bony, but blocked the former Swansea striker’s shot with his body outside the box before gathering his follow-up effort.

But Gradel fired the Elephants in front six minutes before half-time when he was ruled marginally onside as he ran onto Franck Kessie’s superb lofted through-ball and fired across Kazapua.

And it was 2-0 just before the hour when Serey Die let fly from 35 yards and a deflection off defender Ryan Nyambe left the keeper helpless.

Wilfried Zaha, who had twice been denied clear penalties, sent a weak effort straight at Kazapua and Namibia cut the deficit when goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo cleared the ball straight to Joslin Kamatuka, who shimmied past Serge Kanon before finishing.

But Zaha and substitute Maxwel Cornet scored in the final 10 minutes to make victory safe for Ibrahim Kamara’s side, who finish second after South Africa conceded a late winner to group champions Morocco.

Senegal 3-0 Kenya

Liverpool’s Sadio Mane scored twice after missing a penalty as Senegal reached the last 16 at Afcon with a 3-0 win over Kenya.

The forward bagged a late brace to make up for seeing Patrick Matasi save his first-half spot-kick in Cairo on Monday.

Ismaila Sarr opened the scoring in the second half while Philemon Otieno was dismissed for Kenya after conceding Senegal’s second penalty – which Mane converted.

Senegal finish second in Group C, behind Algeria, but needed to wait until the final 30 minutes to break Kenya down.

They should have gone ahead just after the half hour when Abud Omar brought down Saliou Ciss but Mane’s penalty was weak and Matasi saved comfortably.

Sarr opened the scoring after 63 minutes when he fired in from Lamine Gassama’s cross.

Mane then scored his first when he capitalised on an error from Musa Mohammed eight minutes later.

Otieno was dismissed for bringing down Sarr with 14 minutes left and Mane scored from the spot.

Algeria 3-0 Tanzania

Adam Ounas and Islam Slimani inspired Algeria to a comfortable 3-0 win over Tanzania as they completed a 100 per cent Group C record at Afcon 2019.

Leicester forward Slimani, who spent last season on loan at Fenerbahce, gave the Fennec Foxes a 35th-minute lead when he took advantage of some woeful defending to latch on to a hopeful long pass from Ounas and stroke the ball past goalkeeper Metacha Mnata.

Ounas quickly slotted the second after a neat one-two with Slimani and the pair linked up again for the third in first-half stoppage time as Ounas accelerated away from the defence, rounded Mnata and finished.

Algeria’s Mohamed Fares went closest in a largely quiet second half with an effort against a post and Baghdad Bounedjah fired just wide.

John Bocco and Adi Yussuf missed late chances for a Tanzania consolation as their side finished bottom of the group without a point at Afcon 2019.

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Dean Workman